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    EP.5 CYCLING LOFOTEN Pt1: How to CYCLE 5 ISLANDS



    Cycling Lofoten is one of them unique and rewarding moments in your life that you will never forget. The islands were made for riding and this video will show you how to do it. I hope it will encourage others to leave the car alone and get on a bike because there is no better way to experience this magical place. I’ve spent two weeks researching and editing this video. But after a lot of work, I feel I’ve managed to capture the essence of the islands. I hope it gives you a little glimpse into how the islands make you feel while riding around them. Part 2 coming next week.

    Visit http://www.cyclenorway.com for more information about cycling in Norway. The website will be updated in the coming months.

    Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cyclenorwaycom

    FOLLOW ME on Instagram for the latest updates: https://www.instagram.com/cycle_norway/

    One mistake in the video – you cycle on 5 Islands not 3.
    Moskenesøya, Flakstadøya, Vestvågøy, Gimsøya, Austvågøya

    IF YOU ENJOYED THE VIDEO PLEASE GIVE IT A THUMBS UP 👍

    00:00 – Informative Intro to Lofoten
    3:27 – How to get there
    5:49 – Day 1 Moskenes Island
    11:44 – Why travel by bike around Lofoten
    14:01 – The Nappstraum Sea Tunnel
    15:29 – Wild Camping: Lofoten Code of Conduct
    16:49 – The Magical Beaches of Lofoten

    Check out the Triathlon I did in Lofoten – it was epic!

    #CyclingLofoten #LofotenIslandsNorway #LofotenNorway #CyclingNorway #BikepackingNorway #BikeTouringNorway

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    View 48 Comments

    48 Comments

    2. Andy Stott on

      Looks fantastic, on my list for a cycling adventure. What time of year did you film this. Thanks for your effort and time in making the video.

    3. Wong Lip Meng on

      That was a great video and very inspirational for potential cycle tourists far and near. Indeed it utmost important to use our effort to ride there instead of driving whenever we can so as to prevent it to be congested by RVs and cars during the high season especially. Once again THANKS for the brilliant video Matthew and look forward to your next episode. Meanwhile I have just shared out in my FB.

    6. Maciej Pilichowski on

      +1 😀 This is both beautiful and sad. Even in this video I cannot stand car drivers, you showed us very attractive places and at the same very unattractive because of the car pollution — constant noise, fumes, if car is not behind you it is already visible in front of you. Plus that fellow who simply cannot park car off the road, no, it has to be on the road… Of course this is just my preference, but I'd better be "nowhere" with no cars around, than in places like in the video, because I know I couldn't enjoy it (when I see so many cars my reaction is "run" 🙂 — I want to see lakes, rivers, forests, not smelly pieces of metal).

    9. Kamihana on

      Matthew, you should be sponsored by Visit Norway! You produce excellent quality videos with beautiful locations. Not just the famous spots. Tourists should really take their time and either rent a car, or ride a bike through the landscape. The landscape and nature is a huge part of the Norwegian identity. 🤗

      Somewhat ironically, the Lofoten dried fish snacks you filmed sold in Lofoten is "produced in Iceland" for Lofotprodukt AS… 😲
      Maybe we sell the good stuff to Italy, and import Icelandic crap to sell to curious tourists and for cat snacks. 😂

    10. Pilot ADAC on

      I must say i am really enjoying your videos ever since, really wanna acomblished my goal to ride to the northcape (covid 19 situation) but your videos are scaling up, keep it up

    11. Jaque Parisien on

      Oh my god! I am without words, well, almost. Such beauty coupled to your wonderful shots of Lofoten make this one, if at all possible, my favourite. And that's not even mentioning your well thought narration and dwelling in the history of the island. You love Norway Matthew and that love transpires in every shot, every word, every ride. What more can I say? Well, let's wait for the next one.

    12. Weihnachts Mann on

      Fantastic imagery as always, and thanks for the laughs!

      What an amazing experience. In rain and mist, it looked like a fantasy world. Made me think of the Alien – Covenant or Jurassic Park. And Neverending Story, of course. Can confirm, the drivers were so considerate, never felt in danger. Route 815 away from E10 was my favorite part. Almost zero cars, just alone in the road, a bit of sun coming through. Some flat terrain to both sides and the greatest views beyond that. First undersea tunnel was an experience as well. Like decending into a freezer. I think that was Ryatunnelen, north east of Lofoten.

      Went 3 days of 180 km each in late august, in the other direction, on the way from Tromsø to Oslo. Saw plenty of cyclists – none of them in my direction though. Had the some brutal head wind most of the time, and felt like I was the only idiot in all of Norway who missed some critical information regarding most common wind directions 😀

    14. Peter Forde on

      Great.
      I (74 year old geezer) took my Brompton (from Florida, USA) and spent 10 days cycling through the Lofoton Islands from Trumso to Bodo. Love Norway.

    17. Dryden39 on

      Excellent video Matthew! I sure hope things are “back to normal” by 2027 when I commence my around the world tour…..I will definitely find time for these islands….thank you for introducing us!

    19. Alex Morgan on

      I think the choice of your personal rock music is a mistake. I found it totally incongruous with the stunning scenery and distracting whereas the softer music was far more in keeping with the beauty of these islands. The sped up footage again and very short time intervals shots were on screen became annoying. There were far too many interruptions for ads in the video. I counted 8. But yes the Lofoten Islands are a beautiful place to visit and ride. The traffic is the thing that puts me off. Thanks for sharing.

    25. Yves Neise on

      Matthew, I am so frustrated! I watched all your videos allready and they are fantastic – but it is only beginning of November, so 5-6 months before the biking season starts 😓 I guess I have to watch them all over again until then 😂. BTW I cycled from Å to Tromsø myself last summer. It was truely awysome.

    28. Michael Bergstøl on

      Amazing! Did the same route through Lofoten a couple of years ago. I remember that tunnel with the tiny strip to cycle on and the cars flying by you so well!😂 So fun to see all the places I remember in this video!

    30. Peter H on

      Not only are you a cyclist and an explorer, you are a wonderful story teller. Thank you so much for making these videos. Beautiful and inspiring. Can't wait for more.

    31. Malcolm F on

      A world of fantasie, but only perhaps if you don't travel in a motor vehicle, or your perception will be off. For myself, I enjoy being diminished and humbled by Mother Nature, as this puts me in proper relation to Him.

    34. Nabium on

      I lived in Lofoten 17 years ago. There were tourists back then, but mostly just caravans and campervans from Germany and the Netherlands, and some Norwegians. It remained a secret for the rest of the world and Western Norway got most of the tourists.

      Now it seems like a completely different place thanks to instagram.

    36. Jim McCorison on

      I live on an island off the northwest coast of Washington State in the US. It's about 50 square miles (80km2) and a one hour ferry ride from the mainland. As you said, there is something magical about islands, and living on one is even more so. But the downside is that in the summer months we get inundated with tourists. Our island population triples and the roads are congested. The local joke is that you can see the island sink a little with each ferry load that arrives. Visiting Lofoten would be a great experience, but I'm afraid I would feel guilty for being one more interloper in their paradise. Perhaps in the off-season, when the crush of people has left, it would be more enjoyable. Thank you for all your videos. Fodder for my dreams.

    39. Angharad on

      Tørrfisk snacks are totally delicious. You just have to try them.

      As for Lofoten, I'm so glad I went there in the early noughties (twice). I'm not sure I'd cope well with the number of tourists there now.

    40. Angharad on

      Tørrfisk snacks are totally delicious. You just have to try them.

      As for Lofoten, I'm so glad I went there in the early noughties (twice). I'm not sure I'd cope well with the number of tourists there now.

    42. Mihai Moiceanu on

      For sure you have the gift of storytelling wich is essential in movie making. The narrative is the backbone of every film and you have a natural way of saying it. Congrats !!

    44. Lynda Hugill on

      Thankyou for your inspirational videos Matthew. We are planning our 3rd visit to Norway using your brilliant trips.
      What is the music that accompanies this film of Lofoten please?

    45. Anders Alexandersson on

      Great videos and storytelling. It is really something to be inspired of at least now when it is so cold and dark. I was biking from Moskenes to Svolvaer myself one day last summer as part of a longer tour. Remember very well how awkward it felt to go downhill on the left/"wrong" side. in the tunnel below the sea. At the bottom I switched over to the right side being afraid to meet someone if I stayed left. Traffic was horrible and I took a deep breath when I was out safe.The rest was nice :).

    48. Trond Ellingsen on

      Thank you for fantastic videos from Lofoten. Please allow me to make a small comment – the fish heads that was hung to dry will not be exported to Italy, it goes to Africa were they use it to make soup. Only the best quality of the fish body will be sold to southern Europe, and to South America i.e. Argentina and Brazil 🙂

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